Geo-location based event gallery

ABSTRACT

A computer implemented method may include receiving geo-location data from a device of a user; comparing the geo-location data with a geo-location fence associated with an event; determining that the geo-location data corresponds to the geo-location fence associated with the event; responsive to the determining that the geo-location data corresponds to the geo-location fence associated with the event, supplying user-selectable event gallery information, associated with an event gallery of the event, to the device for addition to a destination list on the device; detecting selection of the user-selectable event gallery information in the destination list by the user of the device; and/or responsive to the detecting of the selection of the user-selectable event gallery information by the user of the device, adding the user as a follower of the event, with access to the event gallery.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priorityof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/304,855, filed on Jun. 13, 2014,which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to exchanging electronic messages in acomputer network. More particularly, this invention relates to ageo-location based gallery of messages associated with an event.

BACKGROUND

Mobile devices, such as smartphones, are used to generate messages. Themessages may be text messages, photographs (with or without augmentingtext) and videos. Users can share such messages with individuals intheir social network. However, there is no mechanism for sharingmessages with strangers that are participating in a common event.

SUMMARY

A computer implemented method includes receiving a message andgeo-location data for a device sending the message. It is determinedwhether the geo-location data corresponds to a geo-location fenceassociated with an event. The message is posted to an event galleryassociated with the event when the geo-location data corresponds to thegeo-location fence associated with the event. The event gallery issupplied in response to a request from a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention is more fully appreciated in connection with the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a system configured in accordance with an embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates server side processing associated with an embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates client side processing associated with an embodimentof the invention.

FIGS. 4-8 illustrate graphical user interfaces that may be associatedwith embodiments of the invention.

Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure illustrates a system 100 configured in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. The system 100 includes a set of clientdevices 102_1 through 102_N and at least one server 104 connected via anetwork 106. The network 106 may be any combination of wired or wirelessnetworks.

Each client device 102 has standard components, such as a centralprocessing unit 110 and input/output devices 112 connected via a network114. The input/output devices 112 may include a touch display, dedicatedcontrol buttons, physical connectors, speakers and the like. A networkinterface circuit 116 is also connected to the bus 114 and providesconnectivity to network 106. A memory 120 is also connected to the bus114. The memory 120 stores a communication application 122. Thecommunication application 122 includes instructions executed by CPU 110to coordinate communications with server 104 and/or other clientdevices. The client device may be in the form of a tablet, smartphone,wearable technology, laptop computer or desktop computer.

The server 104 also includes standard components, such as a centralprocessing unit 130, a bus 132, input/output devices 134 and a networkinterface circuit 136. A memory 140 is connected to the bus 132. Thememory 140 stores a communication module 142. The communication module142 includes instructions executed by the CPU 130 to coordinatecommunications with client devices 102. The memory 140 also stores anevent gallery module 144. The event gallery module 144 includesinstructions executed by the CPU 130 to store messages from participantsin a live event. The messages form an event gallery, which may besupplied to a client device 102 in response to a request from a clientdevice 102.

FIG. 2 illustrates operations associated with an embodiment of the eventgallery module 144. The top of the figure illustrates a set of messagesenders, i.e., Sender_1 through Sender_N. Each message sender isassociated with a client device 102. The communication application 122is configured to accompany a message with geo-location information.Typically, the geo-location information will be collected from a GPSchip resident in the client device. However, other geo-locationinformation may also be used, such as cellular network geo-locationinformation, self-reported geo-location information and the like.

The event gallery module 144 includes an administrative interface thatallows one to define an event. For example, the administrative interfacemay prompt an event planner for event name, event description, eventdate, event time and event location. The event location is specified inphysical coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates) that define a geo-locationfence associated with the event.

As previously indicated, messages from senders include geo-locationinformation. The server 104 receives such messages and geo-location data200 from any number of senders. For each message, the geo-location datais compared to the geo-location fence. If the message was not sent fromwithin the geo-location fence it is not from a permitted position and itis therefore discarded (202-No). If the message is from a permittedposition (202-Yes), the message is posted to an event gallery 204.

The event gallery module 144 may include a curation interface thatallows an event planner to optionally curate the event gallery 206. Forexample, the curation interface may allow the event planner to deleteinappropriate or redundant messages. The final operation of FIG. 2 is tosupply the event gallery in response to requests 208 from any number ofusers.

FIG. 3 illustrates processing associated with the communicationapplication 122 resident on a client device 102. The communicationapplication 122 sends a registration request 300. The registrationrequest may be an explicit request to join or follow an event.Alternately, the registration request may be triggered by sendinggeo-location data to server 104. The event gallery module 144 determineswhether the geo-location data corresponds to a geo-location fenceassociated with an event. Event gallery prompt information is received302 in response to a request. The event gallery prompt information maybe indicia of the event, such as a brand, a textual description and thelike. The event gallery prompt information is added to a selectabledestination list 304. The selectable destination list 304 includesindividuals in a user's social network. In this case, the selectabledestination list is augmented with indicia of an event.

If a user generates a message (306-Yes) the destination list is supplied308. The destination list includes individuals in a user's socialnetwork and indicia of the event and/or event gallery. If the eventgallery is selected (310), the user is added as a follower of the event312. So, for example, in the case where the user received the eventgallery prompt in response to simply communicating geo-location data,the user may formally follow the event by posting a message (sharedstory) to the event gallery. That is, the event gallery module 144 addsthe user to a list of event followers in response to the user posting amessage to the event gallery. Finally, messages are sent to recipientsdesignated on the selectable destination list 314. These recipients aretypically individuals in the user's social network.

FIG. 4 is an example of a message taken at an event. In this example,the message is a photograph, which may be augmented with text. FIG. 5illustrates a selectable destination list 500. The selectabledestination list 500 includes an entry for a live event 502 and entries504 for individuals in a social network. Selecting the live event 502from the selectable destination list 500 may result in a prompt as shownin FIG. 6. The prompt may explain terms associated with posting contentto the event gallery. FIG. 7 illustrates an interface listing friends ina social network and one or more events that are being followed.

FIG. 8 is an example of an event gallery 800. The event gallery 800includes individual posted messages 802. The messages may bephotographs, videos or text messages. The event gallery may be availablefor a specified transitory period. For example, the specified transitoryperiod may be the duration of an event. Indicia of the event gallery mayappear in a list of friends (e.g., destination list) for the duration ofthe event. In one embodiment, the event gallery has individual ephemeralmessages shown in a sequence. For example, a first image is shown forfive seconds, then a second image is shown for three seconds, etc.

An event gallery may be open to all event participants. Alternately, anevent gallery may be formed for a subset of participants selected from adestination list or some other list (e.g., a list of co-workers at anevent). An embodiment of the invention maintains an ongoing eventgallery (shared story) for a geo-location. For example, the shared storymay extend over months. Alternately, the shared story may be renewedevery twenty-four hour period at a specified geo-location.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a computer storageproduct with a non-transitory computer readable storage medium havingcomputer code thereon for performing various computer-implementedoperations. The media and computer code may be those specially designedand constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they maybe of the kind well known and available to those having skill in thecomputer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include, butare not limited to: magnetic media, optical media, magneto-optical mediaand hardware devices that are specially configured to store and executeprogram code, such as application-specific integrated circuits(“ASICs”), programmable logic devices (“PLDs”) and ROM and RAM devices.Examples of computer code include machine code, such as produced by acompiler, and files containing higher-level code that are executed by acomputer using an interpreter. For example, an embodiment of theinvention may be implemented using JAVA®, C++, or other object-orientedprogramming language and development tools. Another embodiment of theinvention may be implemented in hardwired circuitry in place of, or incombination with, machine-executable software instructions.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specificdetails are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, theforegoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention arepresented for purposes of illustration and description. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed; obviously, many modifications and variations are possible inview of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and describedin order to best explain the principles of the invention and itspractical applications, they thereby enable others skilled in the art tobest utilize the invention and various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It isintended that the following claims and their equivalents define thescope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer implemented method, comprising:receiving geo-location data from a device of a user; comparing thegeo-location data with a geo-location fence associated with an event;determining that the geo-location data corresponds to the geo-locationfence associated with the event; responsive to the determining that thegeo-location data corresponds to the geo-location fence associated withthe event, supplying user-selectable event gallery information,associated with an event gallery of the event, to the device foraddition to a destination list on the device; detecting selection of theuser-selectable event gallery information in the destination list by theuser of the device; and responsive to the detecting of the selection ofthe user-selectable event gallery information by the user of the device,adding the user as a follower of the event, with access to the eventgallery.
 2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, includingsupplying the event gallery in response to a request from the user, theevent gallery including a collection of content relating to the event.3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the collection ofcontent comprises photographs or videos.
 4. The computer implementedmethod of claim 3, wherein the collection of content comprises asequence of individual ephemeral messages, the individual ephemeralmessages including the photographs or videos.
 5. The computerimplemented method of claim 1 further comprising, responsive to thedetecting of the selection of the user-selectable event galleryinformation by the user, posting a message generated on the device tothe event gallery.
 6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 furthercomprising, responsive to the detecting of the selection of theuser-selectable event gallery information by the user, providing aprompt to explain terms associated with the posting the message to theevent gallery.
 7. The computer implemented method of claim 5, whereinthe destination list includes an entry for an individual in a socialnetwork of the user, the method further comprising: detecting selectionof the entry for the individual in the social network of the user;responsive to the detecting of the selection of the entry for theindividual by the user, sending the message to the individual in thesocial network of the user.
 8. The computer implemented method of claim5, wherein the message includes a photograph or a video.
 9. The computerimplemented method of claim 1, including maintaining the user-selectableevent gallery information in the destination list for a duration of theevent.
 10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the eventgallery is available for a specific specified transitory period.
 11. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the specifiedtransitory period corresponds to a duration of the event.
 12. Thecomputer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geo-location data isreceived as a registration request from the device of the user.
 13. Aserver comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that,when executed by the processor, configure the server to: receivegeo-location data from a device of a user; compare the geo-location datawith a geo-location fence associated with an event; determine that thegeo-location data corresponds to the geo-location fence associated withthe event; responsive to the determination that the geo-location datacorresponds to the geo-location fence associated with the event,supplying user-selectable event gallery information, associated with anevent gallery of the event, to the device for addition to a destinationlist on the device; detect selection of the user-selectable eventgallery information in the destination list by the user of the device;and responsive to the detecting of the selection of the user-selectableevent gallery information by the user of the device, adding the user asa follower of the event, with access to the event gallery.
 14. Theserver of claim 13, wherein the instructions further configure theserver to supply the event gallery in response to a request from theuser, the event gallery including a collection of content relating tothe event.
 15. The server of claim 14, wherein the collection of contentcomprises photographs or videos.
 16. The server of claim 15, wherein thecollection of content comprises a sequence of individual ephemeralmessages, the individual ephemeral messages including the photographs orvideos.
 17. The server of claim 13, wherein the instructions furtherconfigure the server to post, responsive to the detecting of theselection of the user-selectable event gallery information by the user,a message generated on the device to the event gallery.
 18. The serverof claim 17, wherein the destination list includes an entry for anindividual in a social network of the user, and wherein the instructionsfurther configure the server to: detect selection of the entry for theindividual in the social network of the user; send, responsive to thedetecting of the selection of the entry for the individual by the user,the message to the individual in the social network of the user.
 19. Theserver of claim 13, wherein the instructions further configure theserver to maintain the user-selectable event gallery information in thedestination list for a duration of the event.